Northwest salmon are climate victims

I want to applaud The Olympian for covering the climate talks in Paris and am grateful that Mayor Buxbaum and our native people from Washington are engaged in this important summit.

Thankfully some politicians realize that science and disasters overrule their past decisions on climate change and have begun to face reality that there should be a shift to solar and wind energy.

Recently the upper Columbia River tribes have begun to propose that the Columbia River Treaty should be updated to include the whole ecosystem of the Columbia and new technology would allow salmon to go all the way North to Canada over Grand Coulee Dam to cooler waters by Canal Flats. Climate change killed thousands of salmon in warm water last summer and new dam bypass pipes would let salmon survive the journey from the Pacific Ocean.

This would right the dam blockage and tribal fishing rights for a better future for all and possibly allow salmon to survive temperature problems in the years ahead. Thanks to all environmental activists who also know climate disasters are increasing the world refugee populations including in Syria.

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 8:20 AM with the headline "Northwest salmon are climate victims."